Telescopes

[Punkstig]

Anybody got any real experience advice on half decent but relatively cheap telescopes, I have no intention of looking for the beginnings of time, just the moon and nearby planets!
Are the likes of the ones available from Aldi ok, or should ones like those be avoided?

[DILLIGAFF]

A quick search of Amazon, filter by 5 star reviews and you'll be having a Jodrell Bank in no time.

[brooker81]

Used to love a Jodrell bank =wank  but now I have a child so I'm too tired most of the time.

[fazersharp]

Have a nosy on something like sky and telescope forum as there is always newbies looking for advice, I came across it when I was looking for a pair of binos

[HarryHornby]

I've got a friend who's very in to this, I'll ask some questions.

[Punkstig]

/\ thanks.
I've briefly perused some of the forums regarding cheap ones but the only info I can get is very much snobbery, it's like like they're comparing a fzs600 to an R1!

[midden]

And we all know the fzs600 is more fun 

not experienced but as you say you just want to look at the moon and a few stars,   I imagine  the astronomical scopes sold in Aldi would be right up your 'river'. They have to be fit for purpose to a reasonable degree and probably make a great starter kit.  I'm sure Patrick Moore didn't start with anything better.

[fazersharp]

I think you will not go far wrong with a pair of binos as they are used just as much by the enthusiasts for general sky watching have a look here http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/binoculars-for-astronomy.php

[HarryHornby]

ok, ready for this.......


If on a boat (I told him you live on a canal boat) then a refractor on a tripod would be suitable for space storage & portability. But you get more bang for your buck if u get a reflector, but they tend to be a bit longer than refractors. A 100mm refractor would be good but they come in different focal lengths so a short tube design would be best. But for same money he could get a 150mm reflector which means more light & detail than the 100mm refractor.

oh and I wouldn't buy the Aldi ones, they are very very basic and not that great.

I've got a meade scope but I can't remember the details, I've not used it in ages.  You can see jupiter's planets with it but you don't see detail just pin points of light, but pin points you wouldn't see without a scope.

Are you local(ish) to canterbury?  This school do public viewing nights every first friday of the month, I've not been for a year or so.  It's all free and they have an observatory and loads of local astronomers set up their scopes, you wander round and just chat... loads of advice, get to see some cool things, it's a great place to start.

[Punkstig]

Cheers harry, that's the kind of info I was after.